The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, stated that his country is considering a complete withdrawal from the Council of Europe, after the suspension of the voting rights of the Azerbaijani delegation.

At the Shusha Global Media Forum, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, announced that the Azerbaijani authorities are considering the option of a complete withdrawal from the Council of Europe, following the suspension of the voting rights of the Azerbaijani delegation in 2024. Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan is ready for the normalization of relations, but believes that the first step must be taken by the Council of Europe.

The deterioration of relations began following the suspension of voting rights, citing concerns related to democratic standards and human rights. Aliyev described this situation as regrettable and mentioned that he has led the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE since 2001. A potential withdrawal from the Council of Europe would represent a major rupture in the relations between Baku and European institutions, affecting existing cooperation and monitoring mechanisms. So far, there is no official timeline for a withdrawal decision.